Kansas City residents aren't the only ones excited about Google's announcement today; Linux New Media USA (publishers of Linux Pro Magazine and Linux Magazine) offices are located in Lawrence, Kansas.

"After a careful review, today we’re very happy to announce that we will build our ultra high-speed network in Kansas City, Kansas," says Google. "We’ve signed a development agreement with the city, and we’ll be working closely with local organizations, businesses and universities to bring a next-generation web experience to the community."

Bringing this network to Kansas is one part of Google's overall goal to make the web better for users. Last year Google announced a new project that would provide a community with Internet access more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have today. Google looks for cities in which it can build efficiently, make an impact on the community and develop relationships with local government and community organizations, and says it has found just that in Kansas City.

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Gigabit fiber technology is all the rage in the IT space. Power users around the world are salivating over the possibilities for online gaming and high-res video streaming. In my town, a group of geeks went down to the city hall and demanded our own gigabit services, because we are selling ourselves short or selling our children short by not investing in really super-duper fast Internet.